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Parks board OKs Lambert deal

Students can lease parking spots at center

The Forsyth County Parks and Recreation Board again gave its blessing to a parking agreement with Lambert High School on Thursday night.

The board proposed at its June meeting to allow 50 spaces at Old Atlanta Recreation Center to be leased for student parking at a cost of $300 per student.

The agreement is aimed at relieving a crowded parking lot on campus by providing spaces across Nichols Road.

In the ensuing weeks, county commissioners tried to work out an agreement with the school system in which the county would lease the spots to the district, which could then assign spaces and collect the money from students.

The school system declined to be a party in an agreement not on its own property, said Tommy Bruce, assistant director of parks and recreation.

Commissioners then asked the parks board to review the initial idea for approval, which passed 3-0 on Thursday, with members Todd Holbrook and Kimberly Smith absent.

Member Dan Slott questioned why the board’s approval was needed again to get the agreement in place, which required a special called meeting.

Bruce explained that local policy requires the parks board to provide a recommendation to the county commission before the agreement can be finalized.

In the draft license agreement reviewed Thursday, spaces will be available on a “first-come, first-serve basis,” Bruce said.

The two rows closest to the school will be assigned for student parking, he said.

Chairwoman Charlotte Gardner said the county can review the agreement after the first year.

“Right now, the place is not that busy, so we can do this without jeopardizing our spaces,” Gardner said.

If all the spaces are filled, the county would receive $15,000 in revenue for the school year.